Conveyor cleaner



April 7, 1970 c. G. MATSON oNvEYoR CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan.2, 1968 FIG.|

FIG. 8

INVENTOR.

CARL G. MATSON April 7, 1970 c. G. MATsoN CONVEYOR CLEANER 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IOO Filed Jan. 2, 1968 FIG. I2

FIG. I5

FIG. I6

FIG. I9

|60 INVENTOR CARL G. MATSON FIG. I8

3,504,786 'CONVEYOR CLEANER Carl G. Matson, 401 E. Central Blvd.,Kewanee, Ill. 61443 Filed Jan. 2, 1968, Ser. No. 695,049 Int. Cl. B65g45/00 U.S. Cl. 198 230 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION It is well known that endless belt conveyors accumulatematerial thereon during operation and that, unless this material isscraped off either continuously or intermittently, the build-upinterferes with eflicient operation. Several such Scrapers have beenpatented, primarily as evidenced by such U.S. Patents as 1,975,591 and3,342,312, but all of these operate on the principle of cleaning theunder or bottom surface of the return run of the belt, because,obviously, to scrape the top surface of the upper or delivery run ismerely to scrape off the material being conveyed. So far as is known, nopatentee has recognized the need for scraping the inside of the belt;that is, either the underside of the delivery run or the top side of thereturn run.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention recognizes that it doeslittle good to scrape the underside of the delivery run of the conveyorbecause the scraped material simply falls onto the upper surface of thereturn run and build-up is not prevented, resulting in accumulation ofmaterial on the conveyor rollers and leading to excessive belt tension,uneven operation and requiring expensive and time-consuming shut-downsto enable manual cleaning of the conveyor. Solving this problem, theinvention resides primarily in the use of a scraper or cleaner thatoperates on the top surface of the return run of the conveyor and moreparticularly in the arrangement of the scraper as a plurality ofseparate blades arranged diagonally to the length of that run inoverlapping echelon fashion so that each blade discharges scrapedmaterial to its downstream neighbor until finally the most downstreamblade at the far edge of the run directs the scraped material completelyoff of the run, preferably into the main receiving hopper or a suitablecontainer associated therewith. Further, the blades are individuallymounted in such manner that each one partakes of a vibratory actionindependently of the other, functioning thus to scrape the belt portioneiciently and cleanly and to further assure the downstream diagonaltransfer of material to the next blade and so on. A further feature ofthe invention is that the blades are also individually mounted on theirassociated mount members by resilient means adding to the vibratory orutter action. Still further, the blade mounting support is mounted onthe conveyor frame for easy removal, for rockability to vary the bladepressure on the conveyor and for automatic intermittent scraping actionso that, if desired, the blades need not always assume their scrapingpositions.

United States Patent O 3,504,786 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 DESCRIPTION oFTHE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of the discharge endportion of a typical conveyor.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view as seen along the line 2 2 on FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a top view as seen along the line 3 3 on FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged end view of bracket means for mounting the crosssupport.

FIG. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view along the line 6 6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a top view of one form of lever arm for rocking the bladesupport.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a form of blade and mounting as used inFIG. 2.

FIG. 10 is an edge view of the blade of FIG. 9.

FIG. ll is a fragmentary enlarged view showing one form of automaticintermittent scraping operation.

FIG. 12 is a similar view showing another automatic means.

FIG. 13 is a side view showing a modified form of means for applying aturning force to the blade support.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of a further form of means for applyingtorsion to the blade support.

FIG. l5 is a side view similar to FIG. 6 but showing a modied form ofsupport bracket means.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged view showing one form of blade and mountingmember assembly.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating aresilient blade mount.

FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIGS. 6 and 15 but showing a further modiedform of support bracket means.

FIG. 19 is a perspective of a modified blade.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows the discharge endportion of a conveyor belt 20, here selected as representative oftypical conveyors, having an upper or delivery run 22 and a lower orreturn run 24, the belt being trained as usual about a drum or roller 26conventionally carried in conveyor frame means 28 which includes aplurality of uprights 30, here exploited to mount an inner scraper means32 and an outer scraper means 34.

The scraper means 32 is mounted over the upper surface of the conveyorreturn run 24, the direction of movement of which is indicated by thearrow 36. Hence, and looking at FIG. 3, the downstream direction of therun 24 is to the left. This applies also to FIG. 2.

The scraper means 32 comprises a plurality of separate or individualblades 38, preferably of appropriate sheet material such as steel;although, the precise type of material is not pertinent here. Theseblades are arranged in overlapping echelon fashion diagonally to the run24 so that, considered as a set of blades, the most upstream blade is atone edge of the conveyor (the bottom edge as seen in FIG. 3) and themost downstream blade is at the other edge. Thus, the bottommost (FIG.3), or upstreammost, blade 38 delivers diagonally to the next adjacentblade and so on until the scraped material is ultimately delivered olfthe opposite edge of the run, in general the path of the scrapedmaterial following the direction of the arrow 40. Stated otherwise, andgiving the opposite edges of the lower run the reference numerals 42 and44, the scraped material is compelled to move by the scraper blades 38from edge 42 to edge y44 in the direction of the arrow 40. The scrapermeans 32 and 34 are preferably located near the discharge end of thecon-veyor so that the material scraped olf may be led to the hopper orother receptacle to which the conveyor is intended to deliver (notshown).

The blades 38 are individually mounted by separate elongated, rod-likemembers 46 on a diagonal support 48, here a tube of squarecross-section, interposed between the conveyor runs and carried atopposite terminal ends on the conveyor frame means uprights 30 bybracket means S0, each of which has a part 52 rigidly attached to theassociated upright 30 and a companion part 54. The part 54 has a squareopening 56 therein which conforms to and tolerably receives the squaresection of the tube or support 48 and which also includes a circularcollar S8 welded thereto and hanged to coniine the support 48 againstlengthwise or axial movement. The part 54 further has an arcuate slot 60therein through which securing means, here a bolt and nut assembly 62,is passed to secure the bracket part 54 in selected positions ofadjustment, the other bracket part 52 having a pair of openings thereinfor receiving the bolt, one of which openings is shown at 64 and theother of which is filled by the bolt. This arrangement increases theangular range of adjustment of the support 48 about its longitudinalaxis. For example, the length of the slot 60 is here selected as 60 butthe spacing between the openings 64 is 30 to the adjnstment range of thetube or support 48 simply by switching the bolt to the other hole.

The angle of the support 418 to the transverse line oi the conveyor run24 is preferably about 30 and the support is in general parallelism withthe diagonal arrangement of the set of blades 38 so that the members orrods 46 may be straight and without bends. The 5 offset provides thenecessary spacing between the blades. These members 46 are preferablysteel rods and each carries an encircling sleeve or tube 66 (FIG. 16),one end of which abuts the support tube 48 and the other of which abutsthe near side of the associated blade 38, the free end of the rod ormember 46 being threaded and the blade 3S being mounted on the rod bymeans of an aperture 68 therein and a completing nut 70 threaded on therod 46. In one form of construction, each rod -46 has a headedsupport-proximate end, as at 72, and the sleeve 66 is a spacer betweenthe support 48 and its blade 38, thus rigidly aixing the rod 46 to thesupport and the other end of the sleeve 66 abutting the rear face of theblade, it being clear that opposed walls of the support are apertured inalinement to receive the rod 46, as at 74 (FIG. 16). In another form ofconstruction (FIG. 3), the blade may be confined on the rod 46 by a pairof nuts 76. 'I'he support 48 may be cross drilled to provide severaleXtra pairs of holes for receiving additional rods 46 or for receivingsuch rods at different locations, as when the support is to be shiftedcrosswise of the conveyor.

In still another form of blade mounting (FIG. 17) a self-containedmounting unit 78 may be employed. This unit includes an abutment 80 inthe form of a hollow, internally threaded bolt having a shank 82 passedthrough the aperture 68 in the blade and threaded onto the externallythreaded free end of the rod 46 and carrying means in the form of a nut84 which contines a pair of spring washers 86 at opposite sides of theblade 38. These washers may be of any well-known concavo-convex type andthe shouldered shank 82 assures that the unit may be preassembled withthe blade and simply screwed onto the rod 46 without changing thecompression force applied to the washers by the abutment 80 and nut 84.This means that the spring load may be set at the factory and theblade-unit assembly installed without special attention by the user.

Regardless of the type of connection between each blade 38 and its rod46, there is inherent in the construction a desirable vibratory orliuttering action of the blades as they ride the belt at the uppersurface of the lower run 24. Each blade is independent of the others.The arrangement of the support angle and the blade angle means that therods 46 ymay be free of bends, insuring proper action of the blades. Asa practicable construction feature, the rods 46 are at about 85 to thelength of the support 48, which enables provision for the echelonoverlap of the blades, but still the holes through the support 48 may bedrilled in a straight line, leaving the rods 46 straight so that eachblade may partake of the necessary action relative to the length of itsrod 46. The individual action of the blades is significant when it isrecognized that material build-up on the conveyor surface is not uniformand one blade may have a greater scraping responsibility than another.Especially with the mounting of FIG. 17 is the vibrating actionimproved, since the blade has virtually universal spring-loaded actionrelative to its rod. This is also true with the rod-sleeve arrangementof FIG. 16y when the sleeves are formed of elastomer material havingsome degree of rigidity to serve as spacers but also possessing a degreeof elasticity to enable desired action of the associated blade.

The foregoing applies broadly to a situation in which the support 48 isselectively adjustably mounted by the bracket Imeans 50, in which case,once the adjustment is attained, it is retained by the bolt means 62.For the purposes of securing this adjustment, a lever as shown in FIGS.7 and 8 may be used. This lever has a plug end 88 and an arm 90 rigidlyattached thereto. The size of the plug end 88 is such that it may iitinside or outside the tubular support 48 and the user may apply a manualforce to obtain the necessary rocking action of the support 48 once thebolt means 62 is loosened. When the proper adjustment is attained, thebolt means 62 is tightened and the scraper functions in its scrapingposition at all times, it being clear that the angular position of thesupport 48 about its axis determines the pressure applied by the blades38 to the con-veyor.

Since it may not be necessary to apply the scraping function at alltimes, resort may be had to the application of scraping pressureintermittently, one. form of system being shown in FIG. 1l, wherein thesupport 48 has attached to one end thereof a lever arm 92 against whichacts a spring-loaded fluid-pressure motor 94 anchored to a conveyorframe part 96. The spring within the motor normally acts to bias theblades 38 away from the conveyor run 24, but a fluid pressure source orpump P supplies pressure through a valve V to the motor to apply torqueto the support 48 via the arm 92, the valve being responsive to a timingmeans T to actuate the valve at timed intervals. That is to say, for apredetermined period,Y the blades 38 will be free from or innon-scraping relation to the belt, but at other periods the scrapingaction will become eiectuated.

FIG. l2 illustrates another situation in which the scraping action isbrought about at intervals depending upon travel of the conveyor, arepresentative system being shown in which the valve V is opened inresponse to an actuator tripped by a lug 102 on the conveyor. That is tosay, for each circuit of the conveyor, the valve V will be opened toapply pressure to the motor 94 for a predetermined interval, after whichthe motor will be spring-loaded to move the blades out of engagementwith the conveyor. Any of the well known types of microswitches,time-delays etc. may be used.

The problems of scraping the bottom surface of the return run 24 are notas acute as those described above, because it is not necessary to guidethe scraped material to one side of the conveyor, it being clear thatonce the material is scraped olf the belt surface, it will drop bygravity. Never-the-less, -many of the features described above may beapplied, especially as respects the mounting of a cross support 104,which, in the form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes bracket means 106similar to those described above at S0. In this case, the support tube104, which may be of square cross-section, carries a plurality ofrod-like members 108, to each of which is aixed a blade 110, themounting of which may lbe effected by a pair of opposed nuts 112,comparable to the nuts 76, or by any of the mounting means previouslydescribed. In this suitation, the support 104 may Ibe normal to thelength of the conveyor and the rods 108 are normal to the support,requiring that the blades be specially formed so as to occupy an angledposition relative to the conveyor, if only to accommodate the transversesplice usually found in conveyors. For th1s purpose, each blade 110 hasa central offset 114 (FIGS. 9 and l0). This enables the use of straightrods 108.

FIG. 13 illustrates another means for applying pressure to ablade-mounting support, this figure showing the support 104 and a 4blade110, but it being clear that this arrangement could be applied equallywell to the scraper means 32. Likewise, the systems of FIGS. 7-8, 11 and12 could be applied to the scraper means 34. In FIG. 13, the support 104has a lever arm 116 aiiixed thereto and th1s lever arm is compelled in aforce-applying direction by any suitable force applying means, hereshown as a turnbuckle 118 acting on the conveyor frame means upright 30.Any equivalent means could be used.

FIG. 14 illustrates a construction in which a torsion bar system isemployed, a support 120, comparable to the supports 48 or 104, beingshown as being carried by bracket means 50 previously described. In thepresent instance, the support 120, preferably of square cross section,is fitted at one end with a plug 124 to which one end of an elongatedtorsion bar 126 is rigidly attached, the free end of the torsion barextending outwardly to carry rigidly thereon a force-applying levermeans 128. This lever could be connected to any of the previouslydescribed means for applying force, such as FIGS. 7-8, 11, 12 or 13.

It is advantageous to be able to mount the supports 48 and/or 104, 120for ready removal. FIG. 15 shows one such arrangement, in which abracket part 130 has a slot 132 therein and a support 133 is fitted witha circular collar 134 maintained against axial displacement by a setscrew 136. The slot 132 is dimensioned to receive the collar and has asemi-circular bottom in which the collar can be rockably received topermit angular adjustment, as by any of the means hereinbeforedescribed.

A variation is shown in FIG. 18, in which a bracket part 138 has akeyhole slot 140 including a narrow mouth or entrance opening 142 and anadjoining circular opening part 144 of a size to receive a collar 146 ona support 148. The dimension of the mouth part 142 is such as to easilyreceive the support 148 according to its narrowest dimension, the collar146, having a set screw 150, being temporarily slid axially out of theway. After the tubular support 148 is fitted through the opening ormouth 142, the collar 146 is slid back into place, its outside diameterfilling the opening 144 and the set screw being tightened to retain theassembly against relative axial displacement. A similar mounting occursat the other end of the support. Not only may this arrangement beapplied to either o-f the blade sets 32 or 34, but it may be equippedwith any of the force-applying means already described.

The blade shown in FIG. 19 is of two-piece construction, including arelatively thin scraper 160 attached to a bank-up block 162 which has atapped bore 164 for receiving a mounting rod 166. When the thin scraperwears excessively, the block 162 will ride the belt and will not allowthe rod 116 to dig into the belt.

As will be apparent, the various combinations may be utilized togetheror separately, either with or without any of the other speciallydesigned means, and in torsional force-applying means, whether manuallyor automatically applied, may be utilized with any construction.Features not categorically described will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art:

I claim:

1. A conveyor cleaner for an endless belt conveyor having delivery andreturn runs, a support traversing one of the runs and a plurality ofbelt-scraper blades arranged in echelon fashion from one edge to theother of said run and means mounting the blades on the support,characterized in that the mounting means comprises a plurality ofmembers, one for and connected to each `blade and to the support, eachmember is of elongated rod-like construction rigidly aixed to thesupport, and each member is encircled by a sleeve having one endabutting the support and its opposite end abutting the respective blade.

2. A conveyor cleaner for an endless belt conveyor having delivery andreturn runs, a support traversing one of the runs and a plurality ofbelt-scraper blades arranged in echelon fashion from one edge to theother of said run and means mounting the blades on the support,characterized in that the mounting means comprises a plurality ofmembers, one for and connected to each yblade and to the support, eachmember is of elongated rod-like construction rigidly aiiixed at one endto the support and having resilient means connecting its other end tothe associated blade, each blade has an aperture therein through whichits associated member extends and each resilient means includes anabutment on the associated member, an apertured spring washer fittingand secured to the associated member, and compression means on theassociated member biasing the associated blade against the associatedabutment.

3. The invention defined in claim 2 in which each abutment, its springwasher and its compression means comprise a self-contained unit passingthrough the blade aperture and engaging the blade from opposite sides,said unit including means for the mounting thereof on the associatedmember.

4. The invention defined in claim 3, in which, each unit is internallythreaded and each member is externally threaded at its blade-proximateend and threadedly receives the associated unit.

5. A conveyor clearner for an endless belt conveyor having delivery andreturn runs, a support traversing one of the runs and a plurality ofbelt-scraper blades arranged in echelon fashion from one edge to theother of said run and means mounting the blades on the support,characterized in that the conveyor includes frame means and means isprovided for removably carrying the support on said frame means,including 'brackets respectively at opposite edges of the conveyor andeach bracket has upwardly opening slots therein for receiving thesupport, cach slot vbeing of key-hole shape having an entrance openinglarge enough to receive the support and a circular adjoining openingpart of larger diameter than said entrance opening, and collar means arelengthwise slidable on the support to respectively fit said adjoiningopenings.

6. A conveyor cleaner for an endless belt conveyor having delivery andreturn runs, a support traversing one of the runs and a plurality ofbelt-scraper blades arranged in echelon fashion from one edge to theother of said run and means mounting the blades on the support,characterized in that the conveyor includes frame means and means isprovided for removably carrying the support on said frame means,including brackets respectively at opposite edges of the conveyor andeach bracket has upwardly opening slots therein for receiving thesupport, each support being of non-circular section and each bracketincludes a support iiting part and a frame-meanscarried part and meansinterconnecting the two parts for selectively relative angularadjustment about the lengthwise axis of the support.

7. The invention defined in claim 6, including means for securing therespective parts together in selected positions of angular adjustment.

8. A conveyor cleanor for an endless belt conveyor having delivery andreturn runs, a support traversing one of the runs and a plurality ofibelt-scraper blades arranged in echelon fashion from one edge to theother of said run and means mounting the blades on the support,characterized in that the support is a rockable tubular element and themounting means comprises a plurality of members, one for and connectedto each blade and to the support, and a torsion bar extends into saidelement and has an inner end Within and affixed to said element and anouter end outside said element, and means is connected to said outer endfor stressing said bar in torsion to rock the element in a directionpressing the blades on said run.

9. The invention dened in claim 8, further characterized in that theinner end of the bar is afxed to and within the element `by a plug andthc portion of the bar 10 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS HUGO O,SCHULTZ, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

